The Coterie of Prince Auburn
The Coterie of Prince Auburn was the 34th session of the Daevenfell campaign, and the fourth session of Chapter 7: Crusade of the Damned. Coterie summary: We return to the world behind the final set of red doors in Tír Annouhns, not as The Resistance, but as The Coterie of Prince Auburn, many many years before the events we've been following so far. Prince Auburn, a valiant warrior has gathered his most trusted friends and acolytes on a journey to seek out The Creator, in hope of reversing the damage done to his people through overuse of the Water of Life. The journey through the many worlds of Tír Annouhns has taken them here at last: The Vale of Anam. His coterie consists of: * Haldrahin Elthoriel – An archmage with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. * Hvalnus Vinroris – A truly ancient archdruid * 98 – The humble Archbishop of The Church of the Creator * Leonhardt Danci – A rennaissance man who knows a little of everything * Cocktail – The Prince's volatile co-student The world behind the doors is green, warm and pleasant. The coterie treks to the little village downhill, while the Prince stays behind and prays. Talking their way inside, they meet up with several strange creatures – gnomes, half-orcs, humans, dwarves – all playing instruments in honour of the God the Vale is named after: Anam. These are the Fey Gods. The Coterie figures out that the woman named Hildegard is their leader, and that she guards the final door. She rebukes them in no unclear terms, inviting them to stay in the vale, but not even think about going further. The Coterie gives the news to Prince Auburn, who rages at the idea of having to stop here, this close to his goal. There's only one solution. Returning to the little village, the Coterie opens fire on the Fey. Haldrahin summons meteors from the sky to utterly annihilate everyone but Hildegard, leaving the village in burning ruins. In response, Hildegard summons a massive Demogorgon – a monstrous demon prince. Even this is unable to stop them, and in a battle fit for legends, only the Coterie stands left amidst the rubble. The door is open, and the Coterie goes through. Resistance summary The group all return from a powerful vision of the events above. The world is no longer green or pretty. It's a broken world, cracked and leaking molten lava from what should have been the sky. In the ruins of the village, they again run into Ryan MacCrimmon, who explains he is the last of the Fey bards. He was sent here after striking a bargain in another world, but was met with only ghosts and memories. He warns the party that if they follow through the final set of doors they will gain both an advantage, and a disadvantage. The choice is theirs. Of course they go through. They go inside and follow a stone staircase to a final room, with a long stone table. They find a strange cipher, that seems to be related to the portal in the south of Daevenfell. Then, they have another vision: Prince Auburn, reaching a sumptuous feast in that same room, fit for The Creator himself. As he sits at the table and starts eating, voices start mocking him. He thinks himself fit to eat with the Gods? He will be his people's savior? Prince Auburn buckles over, vomiting a dark grey mist which slowly seeps out of the chamber, covering the Auburn realm. The voices inform him he will be the Doom of his world. Auburn's eyes widen. His body is covered in coarse, black fur. His mouth turns into a wicked, rictus grin. He is so, so hungry. The party realizes they just witnessed the birth of Gyevroo, who ate the world. And his demonic coterie is now once again loosed on Daevenfell. First appearances * Haldrahin Elthoriel * Hvalnus Vinroris * 98 * Leonhardt Danci * Cocktail